SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Shaquille O’Neal had, in the early part of his career, made his reputation on his ability to dominate his opponent and, when possible, get into his head a little bit.
O’Neal had done that with Chinese center Yao Ming, too, as Yao was being hailed as O’Neal's eventual replacement as the NBA’s top big man. At least, O’Neal said, until he got a call from his father. Speaking just ahead of his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame here, O’Neal recalled that his father told him, “You need to show Yao a little more respect.